About 60% of my business comes from word-of-mouth... and man, does it get around quickly - my 'business card' size yellow pages ad brings in about 5% of business and costs $$$ monthly! People trust you more when you come recommended from their neighbours, friends, or people in the supermarket, and I think that's the best way to go - ask people you trust, because everyone has needed a plumber at some point and has an opinion on their plumber or company!

anyone wanting to know a few secrets on how to build
your business up in your area, just e-mail me
anytime and I will tell you what I have stumbled on
over the past 15 years that has really worked great...

Thanks for the advice -- especially for reminding me to check the BBB.
I'll stick to word of mouth. Unfortuately, I've met only 2 neighbors. But, I do have 2 recommendations. Let me see .. enie mine moe. Seems I've moved onto a street where everyone goes inside and stays to themselves. The guys at work aren't much help, either. Oh, yeah, I do not want the big guys nor do I want the "I think I'm a handy-man, therefore I am". haha... just makes the laugh if it wasn't hitting my pocket-book!

I know very well ... through dealing with car mechanics/shops around town... how these guys treat me if I do not stand there and watch them work. (Rebuilt engine that was perfectly normal before going into the shop, shortened out alternator, and a screwdriver left on my engine block to name a few).

I will check it out.
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as far as angies list, I had the same problems
with pickey wealthy people wanting me to come out at their
convienance to give them -- "free estimates"--

getting pissed off at me for not wanting to come out
at 8 at night to all parts of town...

Mad because I am not willing to drive 35 miles away
at 3.30 on a Sat afternoon after their tennis match, ect....

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I had someone recently quibble with me over a verbal estimate
over the phone ---I quoted him a "not to exceed price of $195.00"
the minimum it would be was $135.00.

he still wanted me to drive out (25 miles one way) to haggle with
him because he thought it might only be worth $150.

How did I know what to charge him without seeing it??

I told him I DO THIS FOR A LIVING....

I told him I would not burn a half tank of gas and spend my day
over only 15 bucks. Never heard back from him.
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I probably should bring along entertainment to keep them pacified
while I am makeing up their free estimate...

they have called me in the passed a few times to join. it has allways been with an intimadating phone call !" it,s is extremeling inportantyou return this call" i have read articles by good contractors telling of bad experiances.
my work is referal, and repeat.

you can,t afford to estimate little jobs. one estimating scource recomends charging 3 times your rate for small jobs, i agree. i,m a gen. contr. we worked 3 yrs t+m on a remodel, $60 per hr per man $750,000. am i going out for 3 hrs at that rate?, i don,t think so. it,s $70 now anyway.

Tool, I'v been around a while too.
Strictly service work and this worked well for me: On small jobs that wanted an estament, I would just give a guestament. Most understood why. I explained I couldn't be held to that. But I told them what my service call is and my hourly rate, broken into 1/4 hr segments.
That way it's fair to the costomer and fair for me.
If I did a flat rate you would know it would be high enough so as not to get stuck with conditions unkown.
It works for me and i always have more work than I can handle.
A lot of my costomers I'v had for 30+ years
If I hired someone it wouldn't be worth all the extra work, but that's what work's for me.

I tell them that it will be cheaper for me to do the job, than to come and give an estimate, because I will be there anyway, and it will take just as much time to do as it would to estimate it, assuming I would even go to give the estimate which I would not do for a small job. And if you give an estimate over the phone, the only thing they hear is the price, not any of the caveats about it being a "guesstimate" and it "could be higher" depending on the actual circumstances. And I go in 1/2 hour segments.